bhs students getting involved

by gilliansimpson'19

While November is an important time for most states, in New Hampshire, February is just as—if not more—crucial. This is because of the Presidential Primary; an election where the people vote on who they believe should be the presidential nominees for their respective parties. If you looked at the ballot cards February 10, you would have noticed that this year was the 100th anniversary of the New Hampshire Presidential Primary. Additionally, for the past seven presidential elections, NH has predicted five of both the Democrat and Republican party nominees. So for 100 years, New Hampshire has been an important part in determining the President of our country. Students, especially, are noticing this.Political activism can be seen everyday walking through the halls of BHS. Angry rants and passionate debates over which candidate is better or worse are heard echoing through the school. The day after the Primary, I heard people discussing politics in every class. But, in a state where the outcome of our Primary can make or break candidate, what else do people expect to find in a school which is meant to teach and nurture creative thoughts?Although there is some question as to if it is even appropriate to be sharing private (and very opinionated) information in schools which are also supposed to prevent bullying. Politics are extremely important so it makes sense that students want to share their ideas and change the world, but those same ideas can destroy friendships or at least make them awkward. Teachers also don’t share their political views because of this reason; they don’t want to seem biased or unfair. But some classes require this kind of thought. Humanities especially have debates over political issues all the time in order to better understand literature and history. ​There is also the issue of RWL hours. Every student needs eight hours of Democracy in Action and the only way to get them is to watch politics happening. This is definitely going to inspire people to have ideas of their own that they want to discuss with friends and family. So, in a school where witnessing politics is required, in a state that plays an important role in the government of our country, and in a country where our leaders determine the future of the world, students are going to be involved in and talk about politics. The only question is: are they ready for the social outcomes of sharing potentially unfavorable views?